The show was billed as an hour long rehearsal and as you can see by the ticket stub above, the ticket price was $20, plus Ticketmaster fees. It was the first time Bruce had played Convention Hall and he talked about seeing The Who and The Blues Magoos in the building.
My expectations were high, but I figured we would get about an hour and fifteen minutes, but I couldn't wait. My seats were directly behind the soundboard. As I was standing waiting for the lights to go down, I noticed the set list taped to the equipment. I didn't want to look...but I had to. Yes, I HAD TO. When I started reading the list, my first thought was, "he can't do all of those songs in an hour." He didn't.
The band came out, one by one, and Bruce came out last. He then approached the mic, counted off, and a force more powerful than I had seen on stage before took over. They launched in to Prove It All Night, and did they ever. With Bruce and Steven trading "yeah"s on the same mic and a searing guitar solo from Bruce, I was mesmerized. From there, they launched in to Two Hearts, one of my favorites, with Bruce and Steven again sharing the same mic for much of the song. I knew that I needed to be at as many shows this coming summer as possible.
I won't go through song by song, but it ended up being a 23 song show that last two and a half hours. He debuted My Love Will Not Let You Down, which was on Tracks, and closed with a new song which would become a staple of the tour, Land of Hope and Dreams. It was apparent that they were still trying to figure things out as the band assumed that after 10th Avenue Freeze Out they would break for intermission. They started to walk off stage and Bruce called them back and said that they didn't need an intermission any more. The show truly blew me away. The following night, Bruce played for two hours and forty five minutes with a 25 song set including the premiere of Give The Girl A Kiss and the first live performance of The Promise since 1978, played solo by Bruce on piano.
He called the show a re-dedication of the band and it was exactly that. Over the last 10 years, there have been many more shows in Convention Hall, both rehearsals and holiday shows and The E Street Band has been an ongoing concern with new albums and new tours, including another starting next month.
It seems like yesterday, but ten years is a long time. I had only recently started in real estate. I was making no money. Let me repeat that for emphasis. I was making NO MONEY. Yet, all I could think about when I left those shows was that I couldn't miss a show. I couldn't risk missing something magical. I said that I needed to attend every show possible in case he played Incident, Jungeleland, or Frankie. I saw all three that year.
It's been a great ride...and I can't wait for it to start again next month. Show #147 is scheduled for April 22nd in Boston, unless of course he schedules a rehearsal show in Convention Hall before they hit the road. I am going to hit Boston, Philly, Nassau, and East Rutherford on this leg of the tour. Who's in?
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive..." BS
From Badlands...played 3/18/99 and every other night that tour.
JN
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